Tuesday, November 7, 2023

My Thoughts and More on A Christmas at Jekyl Island Club by Blossom Turner

About the Book

Book: A Christmas at Jekyl Island Club

Author: Blossom Turner

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: October 24, 2023

She was born into privilege yet yearns for freedom. Dare she risk it all for love?

Though spunky Savannah Ensworth was born into wealth and privilege, she longs for the freedom allotted to men. Marriage is the very last thing on her to-do list. As the sole heir to her father’s fortune, she’s in no hurry to turn the freedom that comes with wealth over to a husband.

Bored and restless, she arrives for yet another mind-numbing winter season at the Jekyll Island Millionaire’s Club. There is nothing new under the sun…or so she thinks until she meets Joseph Bennett, the visiting reverend.

As sparks fly, a forbidden attraction grows. But will their very different lives snuff out any hope of a future? And is she ready to give up the freedom she’s always desired for a love that could cost her everything?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This series, The Gilded Age Resorts, has been quite fascinating to me and I have enjoyed reading about all these resorts where the uber wealthy would go on holiday. Most I have never heard of before so through the authors pens, they allow me to visit each one during the high times of the resorts.

This story is about heiress Savannah Ensworth, only child of her parents, wealthy, and a bit spoiled. She has come to Jekyll Island for the Christmas holiday with her parents. She is bored out of her mind with the teas, dinners, and socials her mother expects for her to keep up appearances at. Savannah is beautiful and wealthy and that makes her a prime target for men. But she is not interested in making a good connection. I felt for Savannah as she had everything in the world at her disposal, yet she was living an empty existence.

Until one day her best friend gets her to make a dare. There is a new, young, and attractive preacher at the Island. He is beneath Savannah in society, but she does not think twice about her flirtatious ways with him so that she may make him fall in love with her. At first, it is all a game.

Joseph Bennett, the preacher, is tired of what he sees of upper society. He wants so badly for them to see that they could do so much good for others if only they would open their eyes. One Sunday morning as he looks across the congregation, he sees a woman that steals his heart at first glance. When she decides to befriend him, he knows their relationship can go nowhere. As their connection deepens, he must fight his attraction for her and show her the best way to live her life.

Will Savannah, headstrong and as ambitious as she is, let Joseph go? Or can she let go of all her wealthy trappings? And when family secrets come to light, she will need her new faith to move forward with strength and fortitude. I enjoyed Savannah and Joseph's perfect match and their tug of war against their swoony romance.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Blossom Turner Blossom Turner is an award-winning romance author and a hopeless romantic at heart. She believes all story should give the reader significant entertainment value but also relatable life struggles with hope sprinkled throughout. Her desire is to leave the reader with a yearning to live for Christ on a deeper level, or at the very least, create a hunger to seek for more.

She lives in a four-season playground in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, with gardening at the top of her enjoyment list. She has a passion for women’s ministry but having coffee and sharing God’s hope with a hurting soul trump all. She has two grown children and lives with her

husband, David, of forty years and their Shepherd/Bernese cross, Lacey. Blossom loves to hear from her readers. Visit her at https://blossomturner.com (Link to website.)

More from Blossom

An island owned by millionaires…do you want to visit?

From my first glimpse of the Marshes of Glynn to that step out of my car onto soil that used to be trod by the world’s wealthiest, my interest was piqued. A book series blossomed inside my head. The 2,906 mile trek from my home in Kelowna, BC to Jekyll Island, Georgia, was worth every hard-earned penny.

The history of Jekyll Island is fascinating from the indigenous people to the arrival of Spanish explorers in 1510 who named the Island, Isla De Ballenas (Whale Island), onward to the English occupation during the Colonial Era in 1733 (where it was renamed Jekyll Island) through the plantation Era. But it really gets interesting during the Club Era where fifty-three members purchased shares with the goal to market the island as a winter retreat for the extremely wealthy. It was a raging success. The clubhouse was officially opened in January of 1888 and the island became an exclusive club to many of the world’s wealthiest families. One could visit by invitation only. This “Millionaires’ Hideaway” became the place some of the most powerful American financiers could relax in prestigious undisturbed isolation. During its peak, the claim was made that its’ members controlled one-sixth of the world’s wealth.

This story takes place in the midst of the Club Era which lasted from 1888 to 1942 before the island was sold back to the state of Georgia. The island, the Club House, the mansion-like cottages, including the flora and fauna have been meticulously researched to bring authenticity to this story. I hope I have done a good job of setting you in that place and time, so you can visualize, hear, smell, and be touched by the lives of the people that long ago walked upon that soil.

Today, there is a causeway built through the beautiful Marshes of Glynn so visitors can access the Island from the mainland by car. It is a popular tourist destination. I would highly recommend a trip to this Golden Isles barrier island.

The historical district has been painstakingly restored and the Club House stands in all its original glory. From the variety of beaches to a photographer’s heaven on Driftwood beach, to the miles of bike trails, salt marshes and abundant wildlife this island is deemed one of the 50 most beautiful small towns in America. I could see why when I visited.

If you have not yet had the pleasure, I hope you will someday have the opportunity to step upon the soil where millionaires trod and bask in the same sunshine they did. Perhaps have high tea in the Club House or ride a bicycle on the hard packed shores of the very beaches they enjoyed. For we are all God’s beautiful creations. He sees not our money, our status, or our family connections…He sees our heart.